Macclesfield Town Football Club has backed a worldwide campaign to show men’s cancers the red card by promoting healthy lifestyles and the importance of regular check-ups.

John Askey, team manager, and his squad donned home shirts to support Blue September, a campaign founded by the Urology Foundation to reduce the number of men dying needlessly from cancer.

John said: “It’s not well known that men are actually at higher risk of developing a wide range of cancers than women. That’s why I didn’t have to think twice when NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) asked us to back Blue September locally.

“As a club that plays in blue and understands the importance of looking after the body, this campaign is a perfect fit for us.

“Blue September spells out that men can significantly reduce their risk of developing prostate, lung, skin, bowel and testicular cancer by heeding some sound advice on healthy lifestyles and by looking out for the tell-tale signs of various cancers – many of which can be cured if caught early enough.”

A Cheshire East Council public health report for 2012/13 found the most common cancers affecting Macclesfield men are lung cancer, cancers affecting the digestive system, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer.

The Silkmen’s efforts to raise awareness of cancers affecting men were welcomed by Dr Mike Clark, GP at High Street Surgery, Macclesfield, a member of the governing body of NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG, and a GP with a special interest in urology working at the town’s Regency Hospital.

Dr Clark said: “By detecting cancer in its early stages you greatly increase your chances of beating the disease. Cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence as there is now a wide range of treatments.”